Description

The winter moth (Operophtera brumata L.; Lepidoptera: Geometridae) is an inchworm caterpillar that hatches coincident with bud-break on its hosts and feeds on a wide range of deciduous trees. It is one of a group of geometrid species that feed in early spring and then pupate in the top layer of the soil or litter beginning in mid-May. As postulated by Feeney (1970), the early spring feeding strategy of such larvae allows them to take advantage of the high nitrogen content and low concentrations of defensive compounds, such as condensed tannins, in newly formed leaves.